Box Score

HONOLULU - The No. 23 Rainbow Wahine softball team (24-6) pulled away from the No. 25 California Golden Bears (19-11) with a 6-2 win. Junior pitcher Kate Robinson not only got the win in a complete game effort on the mound, but she also hit Hawai`i's 43rd home run of the season. The homer broke Hawai`i's record of 42 set last season.

Robinson, the reigning WAC Hitter of the Week, is now 5-0 as a pitcher. She gave up two runs on five hits with no walks and six strike outs in 7.0 innings. Her home run was her team-leading ninth of the season. She also currently leads the WAC in home runs.

The Rainbow Wahine scored first, posting a single run in the bottom of the third. Tyleen Tausaga led the game off with a double to the rightfield corner. Robinson then reached on a fielding error by the Cal shortstop. Hawai`i then loaded the bases when the Cal second baseman committed their second error of the game. But Cal pitcher Marissa Drewrey then settled down and retired the next three batters to escape unscathed.

In the next half inning, Cal catapulted into the lead with a two-run home run to right center by Alex Sutton. The homer drove in Vernae Sevilla who had reached on a single. It was the first home run that Robinson has given up so far this year. The Golden Bears took a 2-1 lead after three-and-a-half innings.

But in the bottom of the inning, UH see-sawed back into lead on a two-out rally. Tanisha Milca led the inning off by getting hit by a pitch. California then got two quick ground outs. Tausaga then beat out the throw on an infield single to short, which placed runners at the corners. Robinson then stepped to plate and with a 2-2 count, blasted a shot over the leftfield fence for the three-run homer. That pushed Hawai`i back in front, 4-2 after four complete innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, UH extended their lead by scoring a pair of runs. Milca started the rally with a single up the middle. Milca then stole second. Clare Warwick followed by hitting a single to left, moving Milca to third. Next, Kaulana Gould hit a hard single to center. On the play, Milca scored easily from third, then when the centerfielder misfielded the ball, Warwick sprinted home for the second run that gave Hawai`i a 6-2 lead going into the seventh inning.

California's Marissa Drewrey also threw a complete game. She gave up six runs on eight hits with a walk and four strike outs.

Hawai`i will next play No.10 Baylor at 6:00 pm tomorrow in the second day of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.

-UH-